South Africa 615 (Rickelton, Bavuma 106, Verreynne 100, Abbas 3-94) and 61 without defeat (Bedingham 47*) Pakistan 194 (Babar 58, Rabada 3-55) and 478 (Masood 145, Babar 81, Rabada 3-115) for ten wickets
South Africa marked their qualification for the WTC final in style, claiming a ten-wicket victory over Pakistan. It is their seventh consecutive Test victory, and came after two and a half days of hard work with the ball before they finally bowled out Pakistan for 478 in the third innings. A brave century from Pakistan captain Shan Masood and many other contributions forced South Africa to bat again as the visitors overcame the second-highest first innings deficit in Test history. However, the target (58) was little more than a formality, and South Africa needed 7.1 overs to achieve it.
But Pakistan made them wait for victory. When South Africa took the next lead of 421 on Sunday afternoon, they did not anticipate having to bowl another 122.1 overs. Masood, unbeaten overnight on 102, continued and attempted to rebuild after a mammoth 205-run opening stand with Babar Azam. South Africa were frustrated for much of the day, especially during an 88-run stand between Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha in the afternoon. But Keshav Maharaj, who had been denied for most of the day, found the breakthrough, and subsequent regular wickets ensured the finish was in the evening sun.
Earlier in the day, Marco Jansen took out night watchman Khurram Shahzad early before Rabada cleaned out Kamran Ghulam. Maharaj played more or less for the entire session, interrupted only when he changed sides at one point. Their variations in pace and flight, as well as a ball that continued to spin, posed the most significant threat to the batsmen, but the wickets caught up.
Shahzad had done his job and never seemed prepared to continue for long. When a long ball from Jansen became too big for him, he lofted it straight to Maharaj. Ghulam never seemed to calm down entirely, keeping the slip cordon interested throughout his innings. He should have gone his way without scoring when, in the same over in which Shahzad fell, he clipped a shot wide but it exploded through the hands of David Bedingham at first slip.
However, that wicket was always coming. Rabada’s growing frustration with his lack of wicket and general indiscipline (he bowled another four no-balls this morning) was mounting. Just after overshooting, he found a beauty who cut the seam towards Ghulam, driving back his middle stump. It was a great way to mention his 50th Test wicket at Newlands, and the roar that followed made it clear how much it meant to him.
Saud Shakeel and Masood continued to make South Africa work for every scalp and yet South Africa could have had one more before lunch. Kwena Maphaka faced Shakeel with a beautiful delivery that straightened as it hit the pad, only for South Africa to opt not to review. While Shakeel was receiving extensive treatment for the blow, Hawk-Eye demonstrated that he was hitting the leg stump.
Masood’s vigil at the crease ended in somewhat controversial circumstances. Maphaka got one away from the seam that was kept low before crashing into the batsman’s front pad. Umpire Nitin Menon felt his stump was missing, but when South Africa reviewed, Hawk-Eye showed he had hit. This provoked a furious response from Masood, whose protests continued throughout his slow walk out of the box and towards the locker room.
This capped a brilliant first hour after lunch for South Africa. Shakeel had been dismissed shortly after play resumed in the same way he went down in the first innings: falling into the slips while driving towards Rabada. With Masood gone, there was a danger that Pakistan would collapse, as it has recently.
But Agha and Rizwan rebuilt themselves once again. They took the shine off the second new ball and kept the shot spinning. There were just three fours in the first 55 runs of the partnership as Pakistan looked to milk the tired bowlers, but when Mulder got it wrong, Agha was quick to lock him in for two fours in three balls.
The two continued as Pakistan erased the deficit, but soon Rizwan moved Maharaj to short cover, precisely where Bavuma had placed a defender for the shot, and South African nerves began to loosen once again.
Agha, having been reprieved by the DRS, fell soon after (two runs short of his half-century) when a Maharaj delivery broke and bounced, leading to a sharp catch for Aiden Markram in the slips. Mir Hamza came out and had some fun, including a backward throw over the pitcher’s head during the only six innings. But it wasn’t built to last. Aamer Jamal reverse-swept Maharaj to slip before Rabada ended the innings and Bedingham and Markram ran off the field.
Six years ago, on this same ground, Pakistan’s third innings ended on the third night, with South Africa needing 41 to close out the series. Stumps were called and the game concluded on the fourth morning.
This time, South Africa’s starters did not let the match continue until the next day. Bedingham gave a shot in the arm with a striking little knock (an unbeaten 47 off 30) that ensured South Africa needed just 43 balls to seal a victory that, despite a long wait on the field, was ultimately routine.
Danyal Rasool is Pakistan correspondent for ESPNcricinfo. @danny61000
